He found a cyber café and was able to shoot a message to his former pupil John Dark. Oroko Shadou wasn’t sure why he refrained from sending the message to Ryu Kamakura as well but something stayed his hand. As if he could sense Ryu’s hand in his own death, the very notion preposterous but still he couldn’t get the feeling to go away. Oroko ordered a cup of tea and sat staring at the monitor willing John to respond soon. He had nowhere else to go and was prepared to stay here till the café closed if need be.

Several hours he waited patiently, meditating all the while, until finally he received a skeptical response [how can I be sure this is not some elaborate hoax? My mentor has been dead and buried for years. Why should I waste my time coming to Japan without proof you are who you say you are?]

His student was wise to be cautious. Oroko would have done the same in his place. He would have to write back with information that only he and John would know. It was the only way he could see this working out. So he wrote back ‘Dear John, I understand your concerns. But I can tell you that the boy that approached me shortly after his father’s death would remember what I am about to tell you as well as I do. His anger blinded him to what he really needed. He only wanted to learn the ninja arts to assassinate his father’s murderer. And do you know what I said to him? I told him that what was really important was ensuring that the sort of injustice that had befallen his family didn’t happen to anyone else. I also told him what he needed was self-discipline to help control his anger and use it constructively. And then when that young boy was in tears I wrapped by arms around him and took him into my family so that he could be a part of something greater than himself.’

Oroko Shadou hit send and waited, this time a reply came almost instantly [I’ll be in country in three days. Meet me at the pier where we first met.]

“Three days?” Oroko sighed “guess I can do some recon before he gets here.”
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7500 some odd miles away in Saint Katherine’s Bay…

John Dark finishes typing a reply and slumps in his chair “I can’t believe it” he says out loud.

“What?” Alicia says looking over his shoulder.

“Sensei Shadou is alive.”

Alicia drops the cup of coffee she was carrying in disbelief “are you sure?”

“Either that or someone else was watching from the shadows the day I met him. He needs to know what Ryu has done in his absence. I am going to Japan.”

Oroko Shadou watched the Taka compound from the safety of the shadows. His powers of concealment still far outmatched any of the ninjas guarding the perimeter. There was no way one of them would notice him let alone sneak up on him. As he watched he grew more and more horrified by what he saw taking place. Most of the trainees seemed to be nothing more than street thugs. This Shinobi Blade, whoever he was, was building himself a militia.

There even seemed to be others in elaborate costumes. Two girls that seemed to be twins, another woman wearing fancy samurai armor, and yet another young woman wearing a low cut collared top. This Shinobi Blade must make quite an impression with the ladies. As the old man continued to study those milling about the compound below he failed to notice another dark presence creeping up behind him. A form materialized from the shadows as if he was one with it.

Sensei Shadou detected him at the last instant and dodged what would have been a fatal blow. The ninja’s creepy mask and glowing purple eyes made him seem more demon than man. He launched thin tendrils of shadow power from his hands and Oroko Shadou deflected them with a shield of the same power. So Shinobi Blade had found one that could be trained in the shadow power. Not many in the world could learn it, let alone master it as Oroko had. But this assassin seemed to have a firm grasp on the concept.

“Who are you?” Oroko demanded.

“I am Kokushibyou” the shadowy form replied as he leapt forward and vanished into the shadows only to reappear behind Shadou’s back.

The ninja master expected the trick and flipped out of the way before throwing an orb of shadow at his assailant. Kokushibyou brought up a shield of his own but the orb simply absorbed it and increased in size. Then it engulfed the shade ninja and blinked out of existence. Kokushibyou vanished along with the orb and Oroko Shadou sighed with relief. He was glad that transport orb worked. The shadowy assassin would find himself thirty miles off the coast of Japan within seconds. It would leave him disoriented and drained of his own power making it difficult for him to get back to land anytime soon.

Posted: 15 Aug 2012 23:58

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Posted: 16 Aug 2012 03:30

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Good!

Posted: 16 Aug 2012 22:44

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Sounds like Oroko has more than just martial arts on his side; magic powers too!